While much of the focus has been on Sean “Diddy” Combs himself during his ongoing sex-trafficking trial, the jury has also been a topic of discussion. Earlier this week, Juror No. 6 was formally dismissed due to inconsistencies found within their statements about residency. Now, it would seem that yet another member of the jury is under fire for a different reason. The situation is set to be addressed this week and, as the situation continues to unfold, an expert is weighing in on how this latest matter might’ve been avoided.
This latest juror is reportedly being examined for possibly discussing the case with a colleague. Specific details of the supposed conversations have not been publicly divulged though, at present, the defense is arguing that the individual be removed from the jury. David S. Seltzer, an attorney, discussed the situation with Fox News, saying that the case now has a “tainted juror.” Seltzer attributed the issue to presiding judge Arun Subramanian, who he said should’ve sought to sequester the jury early on:
He or she is discussing the facts of this case outside the presence of the jury, as instructed by the court, which, again, circles back to day one of this trial. Why wasn't the jury sequestered?
Juror-based questions arose even before the trial began in May, with reports indicating that it would be “difficult” to assemble a 12-person jury. The supposed reason was the case’s high-profile status, which would’ve theoretically made it hard for members of the general public to not be aware of Sean Combs’ legal woes and form an opinion on them early on. David S. Seltzer’s further comments on the jury issue seem to align with the notion of how much those on the panel were exposed to external sources of information from the jump:
To avoid these issues, the jury is not supposed to look at social media. The jury is not supposed to read the news. The jury was instructed not to discuss it on the train, not to talk to your husband or wife or partner, to basically live in a bubble for all this time. It’s impossible.
Nevertheless, the jury was finalized near the middle of this past May, though that milestone was accompanied by claims of racial discrimination from Diddy’s team. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo took issue with seven Black jurors being struck from the selection process, saying that he noticed a “pattern.” Maurene Comey, a prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s office, attributed the eliminations to factors like the individuals’ prior knowledge of the case, language barriers and feelings on law enforcement. Judge Subramanian ruled that Agnifilo and co. “failed to show purposeful discrimination.”
Jurors have been listening to testimony from various individuals over the past few weeks, with many having leveled claims against Sean Combs. The rapper’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, took the stand and shared details about the alleged sexual acts that Combs made her perform with male escorts. A friend of Ventura’s, Bryana Bongolan, also claimed that Combs dangled her from a 17th floor balcony during a heated confrontation. Rapper Kid Cudi also testified about alleged home invasion and arson-related incidents.
The defense is expected to begin making its case relatively soon and, given the charges of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy he’s facing, Diddy could spend up to life in prison if found guilty. When it comes to the jury, a decision on this latest juror’s fate has yet to be announced, as of this writing.
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